The quiet nature of Umuahia, the Abia State Capital compared to Aba, is set to be repositioned commercially said the Commissioner for Information, Abia State, Chikamayo Eze at the pre-launch meeting in Lagos with key stakeholders.
The mall, which is the newest addition to the growing retail space in Nigeria, is set to open in Umuahia for business in April 2015. A fully digital mall with a 24-hour electricity and free parking space, considered as a one stop destination for dining, shopping, entertainment, banking and telecommunications would boost the economy of Abia state in the region of 10 per cent to 15 per cent, said Eze.
According to the property developer, Pro-M Limited the convenience of a fully air-conditioned mall housed within an area of 11,557 square meters will soon be within reach to everyone in Abia. The mall is set to contribute to the continuous economic growth in the East such as provision of jobs to its immediate environs.
Recently, there has been renaissance of mall culture around the country. Started with Palm Shopping Mall in 2004, which was commissioned by then President Olusegun Obasanjo, the major state capitals and cities have experienced the establishment of mega shopping acres.
According to Eze the government has no reason in the management of businesses but would create an enable environment for businesses to thrive in the state. Government has no business in running this, the beauty of government today is to provide enabling environment for private people to operate and to provide amenity to the community, because the essence of governance is welfare of the people, is not management of business.”
Explaining the economic viability of the project in the state, Director, Abia Retail Company, Chuka Okoye said that the mall alone would generate over 1600 direct and indirect jobs in the state capital. He however assured tenants that the mall management has put in place arrangement to promote good business relationship hence to encourage growing businesses.
“We have over 60 per cent of the mall occupied already, we have dragged global brands like SPAR and others to Abia State,” Okoye said
Okoye said, the construction of Abia Mall started on June 3, 2013 after a 9-month pre-construction exercise and process. Initially, the construction of the mall was handled by New Technics Construction Company but after 4-months of poor work performance and below average quality, the decision Abia Retail Company ended its romance with the New Technics Construction from the project and appoint a main contractor, Formwork in November 2013.
The mall, which is sited at old Gariki occupy a total of 2.6 Hectares of land. Abia Mall has1.11,550 sq-m of gross building area, approximately 9000 square metre of gross lettable area, approximately 280 parking bays, a SPAR Supermarket of 3,000 sq-m, a 5-screen Cinema Arcade of 900 sq-m, a food court open seating area of 400 sq-m, two separate sets of toilets and washrooms.
Other critical project background of Abia Mall are a promotion court, and 55 plus shops of various sizes for international and national retailers, 24hrs/7days Electric Power, fully Air Conditioned Shops and Common Areas, 24hrs/7days armed security, professional center management team and regular and scheduled waste management.
Okoyee, who disclosed that less than 20 per cent of the space in the mall is left, said that tenant shop drawings are to have been submitted for the Landlord’s review by October 30, 2014. “Approvals must be received by each tenant on or before December 1, 2014, beneficial occupation shall be granted on or before February 1, 2015 and mall commencement and opening is scheduled for Easter 2015,” he said.
